鈹
Beryllium (element)
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Readings
On'yomi
- カワ
Kun'yomi
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Meaning
鈹 is a rare kanji that refers specifically to the chemical element beryllium. It has no other common meanings.
Most common words using 鈹
- 鈹かわ
matte (metallurgical)
Study
Etymology
鈹 combines the metal radical 金 with the phonetic component 皮. It was created as a character for the element beryllium, likely chosen for its sound rather than any semantic link to skin or leather.
Meaning mnemonic
The metal radical 金 hints at a metallic element. The right side 皮 (skin) is just along for the sound, but you can imagine a lightweight metal so rare it's like a thin skin of metal.
Reading mnemonic
For カワ, think of a river (川, かわ) flowing with beryllium: 川 -> カワ, and the metal 金 is found in the riverbed.